Wisconsin fight spills over to Beacon Hill where members of Tea Party and unions clash

Hundreds of union members and allies began rallying on Beacon Hill this afternoon in support of public sector workers in Wisconsin, at times clashing with a smaller group of Tea Party movement members who came to support Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.......Late this afternoon, Governor Deval Patrick sent a note to state employees vowing to work along with the leadership of state employee unions to find ways to ease the Massachusetts budget crunch. "Union leadership has been and will remain at the table,'' Patrick wrote.
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Boston Police Superintendent William Evans said he ordered the shutdown of Beacon Street in front of the State House to ensure the safety of the hundreds of protesters on both sides, a move that drew roars of approval from the union side......Around 5 p.m. Evans said that no one has been arrested, although there is obvious tension between the two sides. “There’s some screaming and yelling, but for the most part everyone is respecting each other’s opinions,’’ Evans said.

About 100 Tea Party protesters appeared on Beacon Hill where they were heavily outnumbered by supporters of the Wisconsin unions......."It's crazy here," said Bob Kring, a Newburyport man who came to oppose public sector unions and carried a sign that said "The silent majority is asleep no more."